And that is how I named the blog......

I love Christmas....let me say that again....I. LOVE. CHRISTMAS.!!!!!!!!!! Not the typical kind of love most people have, like "let's put up a Christmas tree....let's put up a few outside decorations....." I am talking about a borderline insane, let's decorate the second week in November, change the sheets to Christmas, change the dishes to Christmas, minimum of 5,000 lights in the house kind of love! And it isn't just about the decorations, although I do LOVE them...did I mention that??? I also love, LOVE the fact that Magic 96.5 begins playing Christmas music almost as early as I decorate.

Dear Magic 96,
I heart you!
Michelle

But seriously, I am so full....full of EVERYTHING....at this time of year, that I almost feel like I could explode. I think that through most of the season it would be absolutely impossible to feel any more joy....not that I don't have bad days, bad things, but the overall tone of the season fills me with intense completeness. I have already been scouring the few magazines that I get for ideas to enrich the season for my kids.....and I do realize that it would be easy for them to get a little caught up in the NOT meaning of the season....so I do try extra hard to add things into the season that will allow them to experience the season and the act of giving. And we talk A LOT about how we can serve others....and it is through these talks that I began to be accutely aware of my blessings....please don't misunderstand. I have ALWAYS known that I was blessed beyond measure, but when you begin listing specifically your blessings for someone who maybe doesn't even understand fully what blessings mean, well....it blew me out of the water. And the basics of food on the table, roof over our heads, jobs....those are HUGE blessings but not ones that we take for granted.....and then there are MILLIONS of other things...my children, the most awesome man I have ever met as a husband, my salvations....again HUGE....and in listing these, the fullness of CONTENTMENT comes....and it just seems like I take the extra effort to linger on these during this season....which is kind of backwards since we are typically so busy....but I am just ABUNDANTLY BLESSED!!!!!! That is the long and short of all that I am and all that I hope to be....

And, for your enjoyment, here is just ONE little situation that makes me chuckle a little and although it wasn't an 'enlightened' comment it did make me remember, once again, that I am abundantly blessed!!!!
Last night, Leighton was looking through a toy catalog and making ANOTHER
Chrismas list (he has made many but they all pretty much contain the same
stuff - score!). As he was making the list, he said to us "Do you know what
the best part about Christmas is and about Santa Claus coming and bringing
toys?" And I was pretty much thinking he might say that the best part was
Santa bringing toys, so I was intrigued to hear the rest of this story. When I
said, "What?" He said, "We don't EVEN have to pay for all of that stuff!"
And when he said that, I knew he still 'believed'! Isn't childhood precious?!

We didn't REALLY skip Halloween!

Halloween kind of slipped by us this year....I think it was because the REAL day was on Sunday and something in myself just couldn't make that right....and even though everyone celebrated on Saturday, my heart wasn't in the Halloween festivities. Now, to be fair, if my children had expressed interest in the whole thing we would have been right up in it, but as it was, we got our sweet little puppy on that day, and, in their defense, we were just busy with him. So, the only photographic evidence I have of Leighton in his costume is on my sister's camera....I know...I KNOW! I only did better with Logan because he dressed up for school......




In all fairness, I made some mean party food for both of my guys! And, score 1, I attended both parties...they just happened to be during the day on Friday!





We did make it to the pumpkin patch for some good ole' standard punkin' patch pictures....but that doesn't really count, does it?




But, really, who could leave this at home....even for Halloween?????

Strong Willed??????

For those of you who don't know, my youngest child is STRONG WILLED!!!!!! And below are my feelings regarding Dr. Dobson's advice to parents of children who are strong willed.....

Dear Dr. Dobson,
Strong willed is the understatement of the century. Until you write a book with a money back guarantee I am through with you.
Love, Michelle


Here are just a FEW examples of how he asserts himself:

1. We were in line at Wal-Mart several weeks ago. He was actually pretty jolly and friendly which I kind of like. His typical persona in the grocery store is a scowl and harsh words, so I have to admit that I was a bit prideful about his joyful attitude...until.....until....UNTIL.....he looked directly at the cashier and asked if she was a.......gorilla....OH. YES. HE. DID. And, when he realized I was mortified (because I am pretty sure it was as obvious as if he had written it right across my face with a sharpie), he was perfectly pleased with himself.
2. Because I want to do it myself!




A picture is worth a thousand words...really! (Please note the shoes are on the wrong feet! I wouldn't want that part to be lost on you!)

3. A few weeks ago one of my sweet friends brought the boys some oversized sidewalk chalk. They LOOOOOVVVVE sidewalk chalk. As we were talking (Logan and I) I told him that Mrs. Kim had sent that to him. He said (VERY enthusiastically), "Oh, she is so nice." I told her I thought so too and maybe it would be nice if he drew her a picture to let her know how thankful he was. And then he said, "I think I will draw her a picture of Jesus!" Wow! What a mom moment! How great must I be doing with my children if they want to draw pictures of Jesus to share with others....and then he said....."And I think I will draw him a 'woo hoo'." (That is the sound of a HUGE bubble you hear bursting!) So I said, "Oh, no...we don't draw those parts on our pictures....those parts are private." To which he replied, "He ain't got no 'woo hoo'?" And then I am all, "Well, I don't know...it isn't important!" And then he is all, "Well, he is a boy isn't he?" And then, and then, and then....STUBBORN is the word you are looking for!

There are at least 50 other stories for every single day of our lives.....challenges, they are aplenty! But I wouldn't change it for the world!

When you see yourself in your child........

There are so many times that I look at my children and think...."Oh my word! They act just like me!" And, typically, it is when they are NOT at their finest! But yesterday afternoon,I looked at Leighton and thought, "That is just like me when I was his age...." Only this time, I didn't have to cringe right after the thought. H was outside working on our "wood pile".....which means he was trying to move all of the junk away from the pile of wood that will bring me endless hours of delight through a fire this winter. Leighton was working HARD out in the woods right beside him, so I went over to check it out. Much to my delight and amusement, he was making him a "house" in the woods. He had his rake and he was diligently working on clearing his hallway, his living room....his house was even complete with a Christmas tree. It took me back to SO many years ago when my and my sisters would spend hours making "houses" in the woods at my parents house. We had bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms...and those are some of my very best memories....it made my heart smile to see him enjoying the beautiful creation that God gave us. He has always been much more of an outside than an inside boy, but this is the first time that I have seen him working his imagination....and I guess it is just that he has finally reached that age. Anyway, it was nice to see something in him that reminded me of myself that didn't make me wish I was someone else for him to see!

The only thing that would have made it sweeter would have been if Logan could have been out there, but he was NOT interested...do you hear me???? NOT INTERESTED! I'll give it a few more years! I do look forward to the day when they will play together doing things like that....you know just being kids....just being little boys!

For your viewing pleasure, some pictures of the house:

JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!
(For some reason I can't get them to upload - surprise, surprise-....and then, when I get ready to upload them, they are on the wrong computer.....you will just have to take my word for all of this.....and when EVERYTHING is going my way, maybe then I can show you some pictures!)

My Life in IPhone Pictures

Where have I been for the past 2 months?!?!? Well, according to my phone, not too many places....but those few places sure have kept me busy....and I only used my phone as a camera when my overwhelmed mommy self forgot to take the real camera....so, here they are in no particular order:






These 2 pictures.....best 3 dollars I have ever spent!!! They were "leftover" Halloween costumes and they were cheap...great for hours of entertainment (for them and for me)






We have a puppy!!! GREAT GLORY! That is another post for another day!




My little indian!



Our trip to the zoo...post flu shots! It was ALMOST a blissful day....and then it was time to go home...so many tears! (and there may or may not have been a spanking...just sayin'!)




My artist! His artwork was chosen to be displayed at the local fair....kind of like the Smithsonian, no?




HOLY GROUND!!!!!!! (No matter what the press says!)

My new promise to myself is to revive my presence in the blogworld....maybe, just MAYBE now that it gets dark at like 5:15 and we actually come inside I can make it happen....who knows!?!

I know the suspense will keep you up at night!